Sundered Stasis
by Mystic Milli
Summary: What if the Warrior of Light landed in Eulmore at the beginning? What would happen if she no longer held all of her memories of her life on the Source, but regained the amount she lost in turn of those as the 14th and of Amarout? How will the events of Shadowbringers play out when differently with these circumstances?


**A/N: Hey guys, I got another story for you all to enjoy. This is another what-if scenario featuring my WoL Nala. I put her through so much, but it's so fun xD. Anyway, if you like it, feel free to review, alert, favorite, etc. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. And I can also be found on Ao3 with the same pen name, which can be found in my profile. Without further ado, I present the first chapter of Sundered Stasis.**

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**Chapter 1: Deconstruction**

"Look at how many people there are!" Tataru exclaimed happily as she observed her surroundings.

For several weeks, the Students of Baldesion and judging by the widely known uniforms, engineers of Garlond Ironworks dared to search the Syrcus Trench for this mysterious beacon. She even saw what _adventurers _tossing in their assistance. This was all because of the partially crystallized man called her friends to the First shard and quite frankly, at the worst possible times, might she add. It left the people she had grown somewhat fond of, yet incredibly irate and bitter towards, devoid of their very souls and stuck in a comatose state; vulnerable to attack. Even she had nearly found herself struck down and practically killed by the Ascian in Zenos' flesh all due to this clumsy hand and lack of foresight.

She swore, whenever she found this beacon and arrived in this new location, he would receive an earful and depending on how she felt at the moment, a foot stuck so far up his ass, his children would feel it.

"Should we get to it then?" the Lalafell receptionist questioned. "Pick up anything that seems the least bit "device" like, and we'll make ourselves a pile."

The Viera nodded with a faint smile. The receptionist for the Scions was unafraid of getting her hands dirty. Although her battle prowess left much to be desired, her information gathering skills and keen eye for detail was second to none. It often made the Viera jokingly question the small woman if she was a shinobi. While she was indeed not a master of the hidden arts, the smaller woman was just incredibly talented at what she did. In all due honesty, Tataru was the sole member of the Scions who Nala _genuinely _and _wholly _loved as she was the only one who displayed a shred of common sense and actively aware of her tiredness at this point in her life. Perhaps it was due to the fact Tataru had an outside view of the situations she was thrust into for field work and actively questioned her of her condition.

However, she found it even more surprising that those who were in the field with her were _painfully _oblivious to her condition. If they were conscious of her circumstance, they merely shirked it off in favor of their blind hero worshipping. Her eyes fell as she thought to herself. Did she truly wish to rescue the people who took her for granted? The agents who sought for the peace in Eorzea, only to sit back and watch as she battled their monstrous opponents? Honestly, no, she did not. However, the world "needed" them, or could it be the other way around perhaps? If not for them, she would not have found herself on as many adventures. In either case, a _sincere _word of thanks and actual rest would have been nice between missions. She was not a weapon meant to solve every conflict or damn near most. Gods, she killed so many people, more than necessary when they could have easily settled the matter themselves.

"Well, if it isn't the hero of the hour!" announced a familiar voice, snapping her out of her musings. Ahead, she saw Cid's two finest and possibly the most stubborn, assistants among the company: Biggs and Wedge. The pair stopped before the Scions with large smiles on their faces. Biggs adjusted his glasses as he continued to speak, "Maybe you'll change our luck-we've found bugger without you."

"Biggs! Wedge!" the receptionist greeted respectively. She received a bashful wave from the small man and a frank one from the burly Roegadyn.

Nala smiled to herself as she observed the two small people, "_It appears Wedge still had feelings for Tataru."_

"Aye, aye, well we could hardly say no to a call of aid from the Scions," Biggs admitted happily. "Jessie collared the chief off for some business, so we'll be working twice as hard to make up for his not being here."

"Thrice as hard even," Wedge piped in.

Tataru raised her arms into the air and her right leg back as she shifted her balance to the other for a small lean, "Thank you—both of you! I'm sure we'll find that beacon in no time."

The group walked further inwards to the trench. All around in the rocky terrain were crystal rocks of varying sizes with people assisting in the search of the mysterious beacon; if there was one in the first place. Nala watched as the trio began their search to their far right.

"Hmmm, I'm not seeing anything out here," Biggs announced. The large man looked to his miniscule in comparison comrade. "D'you reckon you could squeeze in there Wedge?"

The Lalafell engineer jumped back in startlement, "And get stuck halfway? No, thank you."

Nala proceeded to walk away, no longer interested in the conversation at hand. It was mere idle chit chat of matters that did not warrant her two cents. She casually drifted ahead, searching with her eyes alone, away from everyone else. The scholars, engineers, and researchers are the far edges of the place under their surveillance so if they did not find anything yet, then she could easily go elsewhere and allowed her mind to drift to another plane once more.

How long had it been since she delved into this large fortress? How long had it been since that almost insufferable Miqo'te deigned to begin his long slumber? All the Viera knew, it had been several years since those events, but she couldn't help the fact her thoughts wished to dwell on them. She sighed as she found nothing, coming to a crumbled wall, "Perhaps, it wasn't smart to listen to that man, but he was so insistent in me coming here."

Just as she muttered the last word, a small object at the base of the rocks caught her attention. She reached down and picked up a gear with an Ironworks symbol, "Maybe…I spoke too soon, but why is _this _here."

She was so caught up in her examination, she had not noticed the Roegadyn and two Lalafells running up behind her, "Sorry. I-I meant to say-the scholars haven't finished their preliminary assessment of the site yet, so we're not supposed to venture too far in." He caught faint sight of an object in the Warrior of Light's hand, "Hm. What's that you got there?"

Nala turned around and reached her hand out for the others to observe the contraption for themselves, "_I'm not sure, but this symbol. Is Cid working with this damn idiot?"_

Though they could not see it, the burly man's eyes widened behind his glasses, "Now that looks promising."

"Uhh…isn't that the Ironworks symbol?" Wedge questioned; confusion evident in his voice. "Counterfeiters maybe?"

Suddenly, a sharp, unbearable pain entered her mind. "_Not again!" _She gripped her head with her free hand, stumbling back and forth as the whole world around her seemed to spin. Due to the pain, she maintained a subconscious tight grasp on the gear in the other hand. Then, she heard the man's voice again, the first time in weeks, as she felt her consciousness begin to drift from the plane of existence.

"Now! Now I have you!" the mysterious voice announced triumphantly. "Focus on my voice! Let expanse contract, eon become instant."

The two engineers and receptionist panicked. They knew not what was happening or how to alleviate the current state of pain she was in. However, the Warrior of Light knew, this is what the man wanted, and she was now in his grasp.

Tataru suddenly halted in her panic as realization hit her, "Wait! This is supposed to happen! This is the beacon!"

"Throw wide the gates, so we may pass!" the voiced ended with his spell.

Nala felt her entire mind and body be forcefully pulled away to a destination unknown. As the last vestiges of her mind was drawn in by the man's spell, she barely heard the receptionist's pleading words, before her vision was filled by an unbearable light and her body faded from view in a twinkle of aether.

ABABABABABABABABA

Moments passed, she opened her red eyes to a new sight, her head slowly receding of its pain. Nala's body floated in mid-air as she adjusted to her new surroundings. She was in a midnight blue sky, filled with twinkling stars, though upon closer inspection, they were found to be small crystals. The amazing part about the sight, these crystals must have extended for miles.

"This is actually beautiful," the Viera complimented, though no one was around to hear her.

She widened her eyes as her body suddenly moved on its own as it propelled downwards, interrupting her moment of stargazing. As she moved at full speed to destinations unknown, she watched in silence as she observed the crystals within her reach. Despite their size, the Viera had a clear view of the faces reflecting from each one of them. They belonged to the friends she made since beginning her journey to Ul'dah and set upon her path as Hydaelyn's chosen. What astounded her further was the fact she even heard their voices projecting from the rocks and somehow did not clash with one another. A small frown appeared on her lips as many edged closed to her body in an uncomfortable manner, especially those belonging to the Scions. The biggest mistake she ever made was joining the group. They started out asking for assistance in small matters or anything relating to the Primals, but it soon turned into a full-on reliance of her abilities. They barely displayed a shred of gratitude. If only she could…

The Warrior of Light moved her arms to force the shards away from her. Immediately, the woman regretted her reckless actions. Like a domino effect, one shard bumped into the next, and that one into another, and so on. Her worries only grew worse as the pure blue crystals cracked with the small bumps and the voices became distorted, until it all came to a halt. She released a sigh, "That easily could have gone a lot worse."

Suddenly, a blinding light erupted ahead from a final crystal. The silhouette of the person's figure was distorted by the intensity, but she could not help but place a finger on the voice. Perhaps…no…it couldn't be. As she delved into the final reaches of the transference, a brutal, agonizing pain filled her yet once more. Her hands flew to the sides of her head as she screamed in anguish, the matter at hand no longer of any importance. She felt as if something important was being ripped away from the core of her very soul while it was replaced forcefully by a matter of equal importance. As her body came to a slow halt, she allowed herself to drift into a dreamless slumber.

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Eyelids fluttered open, revealing a pair of red eyes. Unfortunately, the action was immediately regretted at the sight of a blinding light filling the sky. She recoiled and covered them with the bare part of her arm, "Why...are the skies so bright?"

If that weren't enough, it only seemed to cause the pressure of a mysterious headache to increase against her skull. It made her feel like an awful mess and due to her distraction, she ignored the gasps and whispers of fear all around her. The woman rolled over from her back to relieve herself of the hardness of the rocky surface, while revealing the dirty part of her white dress, and stumbled to her feet rather clumsily. The woman moved a comforting, gloved hand to the side of her head as she began to observe her unique surroundings. Her eyes widened at the sight. She was in a dilapidated old town, where the houses were built of poor design out of wood and the citizens dressed in tattered clothes. She looked to her left, where at the top of the incline of stairs, was a large castle of sorts.

"_Who is she?"_

"_She appeared out of thin air!"_

"W….where am I?" she asked dazedly. Another surge of pain erupted in her head and flinched. The images of a large, golden city spun in her mind's eye; the streets were flooded with citizens of varying origins. "This...is not…Ul...Ul'dah." She released another yelp as the large city-state vanished, replaced by a utopian city with beautiful, architecturally crafted buildings. "No...this….is not Amarout." Flashes of souls dressed in plain black robes, indistinguishable from one another, replaced those she had just seen. Her expression was easily described to be gripped with fear. What was happening to her?!

She set her sights on a Miqo'te couple, who both jumped in surprise at her sharp gaze in their direction. The Viera made one step in their direction, but they immediately froze when she lost her balance and stumbled slight to her right at the motion. Nala shook her head, this would have to do for now, "Tell me! Where am I? I know not this place. This reminds me little of my homes."

The man hesitantly moved his head in response to her simple inquiry. The manner in which she appeared from the sky, the way she spoke of non-existent cities, and clueless of the beautiful paradise they stood directly outside of in this dying world struck a certain cord within him. He had to get away from her! He scrambled away, dragging his wife along with him into one of the nearby raggedy homes.

"What did I say?" she questioned through ragged breaths. "And why….does this pain only wish to grow stronger?"

Her words only seemed to frighten the people more and the whispers seemed to grow louder by the second. She scrunched her eyes until they came to a full close when the judging whispers filled her ears and pain became almost too much for her to deal with. Did her condition cause that much of a scare? Why? Were they so frightened of an unknown visitor that anything she wished to ask them fall on deaf ears? All she wanted was the answer to one simple question. Was that so hard? Truly, she was in a different land, where the citizens were highly inconsiderate. This was not Amarout…or Ul'dah. Although, she could not help but ponder her current situation. Why was she summoned away from home without her knowing and her mind in a baffling, conflicted state?

"It's so hard to concentrate…" she mumbled quietly, but her voice was unheard. "Please! Stop." The exact opposite occurred, and they only grew boisterous, almost to a yelling manner, as if they were calling for a person. "Damn it all! SILENCE!"

Her voice echoed through the downtrodden village and the silence she demanded immediately came. The citizens inched away from the woman, wanting to escape before she could cause them injury. However, their anxieties were calmed at the rampant chorus of footsteps coming from the direction of the overly large building at the top of the stairs. Nala's ears instinctively shot up as those hardened footsteps circled around her in a matter of seconds. The Viera opened her eyes and nearly gasped in shock. Barely awake for several moments in this strange land and here she was, causing alarm to the citizens and encircled by seven soldiers dressed in purple armor and steel helmets _with _spears pointed at her.

"Halt!" yelled one of the gaudy dressed soldiers. "State your name and purpose!"

The Viera stared at the man, her firm grasp still placed into her head, "My name?" She flinched again as she forced her mind to recall pertinent information, but the fact she could at least remember something so simple, easily relieved her. "I abandoned…my original home, so I go by…Nala…Nala Blossom." By the Gods, her voice was full of uncertainty, she almost didn't believe her own words. Her misgivings grew worse when she saw herself donned in the same, simple robes as her recent flashback. She shook her head vehemently, "No, that's wrong! It's wrong! My name is Rhoda. My true name is Rhoda!" The constant shifting of memories, the gaping whole within those memories, she was absolutely confounded. With each time she attempted to force her mind to process the information she already knew, the distress only worsened. A lightbulb went off in her head, "_So…that's the case." _Any recollection of her past life would need to return on their own or else she'd constantly have to deal with this insufferable discomfort to her mind.

Hesitantly, Nala moved her hand to her side and gaze softly at the soldiers, "And why I deigned to show my presence…is a mystery. 'Twixt the shuffling images, I cannot make any sense of what is happening. I'm extremely confused, but at least I mean no harm."

The captain of this unit of soldiers grumbled to himself. This is just what they need: a crazy broad, daring to throw off the intricate balance set in place by his lordship. On the other hand, she could be a spy sent to Eulmore by that damned Crystal Exarch. She would need to be imprisoned for the time being until _he _decided what to do with her. "Don't move a muscle! You're coming with us."

"The Viera tilted her head in slight confusion, "Muddled as my mind may be, but I feel disinclined to accept your most…generous order. I know when I'm not found wanting." She raised her hand, watching as the soldiers around her tightened their grips on their weapons, and gave a small snap of her fingers. She frowned. Nothing happened. _"Why can I not summon my magicks?" _The only thing she gained was the ire of the soldiers and they lunged towards her. Time seemed to stop for the confused Warrior of Light as she felt the pain gnawing at the edges of her mind. She wished to grab for the rod strapped to her back but…her teachers at the Thaumaturge's Guild had scarcely taught her anything applicable for this situation or strong enough for that matter. There was something else she could rely on and gave herself a mental slap for foolishly dismissing the skills she learned before the start of her adventure. She was a hunter…from a Golmore Jungle and she could easily triumph over these guards.

Nala jumped over the soldiers' head to escape their wall, landing gracefully on the other side, causing two of the soldiers to collide face first into one another and fell to the ground. On the other hand, the remaining five had came to a halt and they followed her with their eyes as she landed behind them. They turned on their heels and lunged forward again. The Viera waited until the tallest of the few closed in on her and ducked below him with ease, extending her leg outwards and caused him to fall flat onto the ground, but not before she grabbed his spear. She hopped back to her feet, weapon in hand, and prepared for attack. She instinctively slid her hand to the other end of the weapon and grabbed the top side with the other and raised it over her head, blocking an attack from above. As the man attempted to apply more pressure, she raised her leg, revealing her red boot and kicked the man in his groin. The man immediately dropped his weapon as he clutched at his member and fell to the ground in pain.

The woman covered her mouth with a concerned expression, "I'm truly sorry, but you should reconsider your design choices."

Only three remained or so she though as more guards exited the building. It took only a moment for them to hear or even witness the commotion from the inside and assembled before aiding their comrades. As Nala found herself cornered, she dropped her temporary weapon and raised her arms over her head a sign or surrender with a sorrowful gaze, "Must it truly be this way?"

Without a word, they forcefully grabbed at her arms, pulling them behind her back with little resistance, and a clank was heard. The soldiers pushed her roughly with an authoritative "Move it!" and led her to the sanctuary to many; the paradise known as Eulmore.

From afar, a man watched with an unreadable expression as the Viera was led away, "How very interesting. The vaunted hero of the Source has arrived. How…and _why?"_

Elsewhere, deep in the chambers of the Crystal Tower, the half-crystallized man stood before a circular mirror, observing the events transpiring with Nala. Despite the fact his face was covered by the hood, a frown was evident on his lips, "This does not bode well. The Warrior of Light must be rescued."


End file.
